5 Tricks for Keeping Cheese Fresh for As Long As Possible

Cheese is by far my favorite food. Very often, my cheese drawer is full of different kinds of cheese that I love to munch on through the week. So the worst thing in the world is when I go to the cheese drawer and find moldy or hard cheese. Luckily, I found some helpful tricks from WonderHowTo that I’ll be implementing into my cheese routine immediately:

Don’t Use Plastic Wrap

One of the worst ways that you can cheese (apart from soft, fresh cheeses like mozzarella and feta) is in plastic wrap. Not only are you suffocating the flavor of the cheese when you do this; you’re actually allowing the cheese to take on a bit of the flavor of the plastic wrap, masking all that yummy cheese flavor. Yuck.

Wrap It in Wax or Parchment Paper Instead

If you don’t feel like putting the energy into finding cheese bags or cheese wrap, then you should use wax or parchment paper to store your cheese. Then put it in a partially sealed plastic bag (labeled, of course). The paper makes a barrier between the cheese and the plastic, and the plastic keeps the cheese from getting dry.

Replace the Paper Every Time You Unwrap

Especially if you’re dealing with a cheese that sweats, you’ll want to replace the paper every time you unwrap. Starting fresh will give you a better breathable seal and will help your cheese last longer.

Soft cheeses, like mozzarella, ricotta and chèvre, are much fresher than their aged counterparts and can spoil very quickly if they don’t have any added preservatives. For the most part, these cheeses should be kept sealed in their original containers.

Keep Cheese in the Veggie Drawer

Cheese actually does best when it’s between 35 and 45 degrees, so your cheese will store best when it’s furthest from the freezer.